Nashua.  Aug  13 . 1840.
My dear John.
As we do not live under the law, but under
grace, I will not say, that you owe a letter, & therefore
I have not written & ought not to write.  It is true you
owe me one, but nevertheless I will treat you in
Gospel fashion, & write.  I have felt many a time since
the delightful jaunt to Northampton, like sending
you an epistle, & have sent you many a passing
thought.  But verily I have been the busiest man
in the world, & you will believe me, when I say that
since spring I have translated six hundred pages
of German, besides taking care of my parish, travel-
ling, overseeing district schools & attending diverse
ordinations.
I have not heard from you except through
your sisters, though I have not doubted, that you
were busy & happy - busy became happy & happy
became busy.  You have felt the happiness of having
a home of your own, & probably can sympathize
with my feelings before coming to Nashua.  Before,
when I was around Cambridge, preaching hither
& thither, I felt as if I had no vacation, and
were a cumberer of the ground.  Now all is
changed - I can look the working-man in the
face, & feel, that I too am a worker.





We had a delightful time at your ordination.  Its sights
& sounds haunted ear & eye for many a day after.
That excursion to the Mountain was one of the
fairest passages in my life.  We were all in the
spirit, & sweet Nature seemed quite in the spirit
too.  Thank Heaven, the charm does not go from
life yet, & the infernal dream, that has often
haunted me, that professional routine must soon
tame us into plodders or worldlings, has not yet
come true.  Must it ever come & is earnest industry
incompatible with ardor, freedom & fresh life?  I trust
not, & am happy, that experience thus agrees with my
theory.
How wide awake the world is about transcendentalism
- the papers are half filled with it.  Really I should
think the Dial might find subscribers enough, if
notice & abuse could bring them.  You contribute I
see.  I dont know whether my muse is of ethereal
feather enough to wing her way so high as to gain
the empyreal portal.  But I shall make some attempts,
as soon, as I find leisure & finish my book, which
I expect to do by October.  There are some good things
in the Dial, but on the whole it has come short
of expectation.  Emerson has been especially meagre
in his gifts.
I cannot write much, without compensation.  For
I am now so mercenary, that I am resolved to
work to my utmost to get out of debt.  Ere long





I hope to celebrate the day of Jubilee, & call myself
wholly my own man.  Cursed is the bondage to debt.
If I however soon get free, I may find cause to
bless the industry, which has thus been forced.
Shall we not meet at Commencement?  I trust
so.  Get as many of our class, as can, gather
together.  I make it a point of duty to go to Cam,
every Commencement.  We shall probably have some-
thing very good from young Dr Woods.
I heard from Simmons  the other day.  He
said he should return from New York by the
west of Massachusetts, & visit Everett & yourself &
probably Nashua.  Pray tell him if he comes, by all
means to visit me, for I wish to see him
very much, & for more, than one reason.
Would that you & I were near enough to exchange
conveniently.  Next year at least we can.  I have
not forgotten many kind & interesting friends in
your flock.  Please remember me to the Church
family.  There is my bright companion up the
mountain.  Please remember me to her.  I really
believe, John, if I lived in Northampton, it would
not be so well for my calm philosophy as
this Nashua.  How beats your pulse.  Does the love
of nature predominate over human passion still?
Do write soon, & believe me
Ever your affectionate friend
Sam'l Osgood





NASHUA N.H.   AUG 14
Rev. John S. Dwight.
Northampton.
Mass.